Rotating traffic signal light



April.21, 1959' J. B. WORSHAM 2,883,646

" ROTATING TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHT Filed May 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l MOTOR AND GEARING I REDUCTION UNIT I FlG.'l

INVENTOR J. B. WORSHAM BY ATTORNEY April 21, 1959 J. B. WORSHAM 2,383,646

ROTATING TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHT Filed May 16, 1956 2 Sheets-sheaf. 2

MOTOR AND GEARING REDUCTION UNIT INVENTOR J.'B. WORSHAM ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 21, 1959 2,883,646 ROTATING TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHT Joe B. Worsham, Anniston, Ala.

Application May 16, 1956, Serial No. 585,260

6 Claims. (Cl. 340-43) The present invention relates to signalling and more particularly to a tratfic control signal for use at intersecting roadways for directing traffic safely and having means to indicate the time remaining before the signal will change.

Although prior to the present invention there have been pedestrian signals and signals to indicate the period of time during which an amber light would glow, such prior art structures have not been universally adopted and, Consequently, traflic does not flow as smoothly as the motorists and pedestrians would like.

A further object of the invention is to provide "a signalling system in which lights are moved in a definite pattern and the position of the lights indicate the particular instant of a signalling cycle.

A further object is to provide a signal system which may be readily used in conjunction with existing signal systems or can be used as a substitute therefor.

Other and further objects will be apparent as the description proceeds and upon reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a traflic signal device according to the present invention mounted on an upstanding post;

Fig. 2, a fragmentary section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the cooperating elements for operating one signal unit of the device;

Fig. 3, a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the timing drum and movable brush for energizing the amber lamp;

Fig. 4, a perspective of the stationary control drum used in a device of Figs. 1 to 3;

Fig. 5, the initial position of the signal when the red lamp on the rotating arm has just been energized;

Fig. 6, the position of the arm just prior to the change from the red or Stop signal to the green or Go signal and during the energization of the amber light;

Fig. 7, the six oclock position of the signal when the green or Go lamp is energized;

Fig. 8, approximately the eleven oclock position just prior to change from the green to the red light and illustrating the amber warning signal;

Fig. 9, a wiring diagram suitable for each unit of the device shown in the Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive;

Fig. 10, a perspective view of a modified form of the invention in which rotating arms may complete 360 of rotation for each signal;

Fig. 11, a fragmentary vertical section of the signalling device shown in Fig.

Fig. 12, a section taken on line 1212 of Fig. 11 and illustrating one continuous band around the stationary drum and its associated contacting brush which carries electrical energy to its associated lamp;

Fig. 13, a wiring diagram suitable for the modification shown in Figs. 10 to 12 and including a separately operated motor driven timing switch;

Figs. 14, 15 and 16, illustrations of the initial positions of the start of the red, green and amber signals, respectively, in one method of operation; and

Fig. 17, a further modification of one form of reference lamp for assisting an observer in determining the condition of the trafiic signal device.

Briefly stated the present invention includes a suitably supported trafiic control signal device comprising a housing, a plurality of shafts rotatably mounted on and projecting from the housing and each shaft carrying a radially extending arm at its outer end on which a red, green and amber lamp is mounted. The arm is rotated at a definite rate of speed by suitable drive means and the red, green and amber lamps are energized in a selected sequence known to the observer so that the observer can readily determine the length of time remaining before the signal will change. In one form of the invention a complete cycle is completed in one revolution while in another form of the invention each signal is exposed for a complete revolution and then the other signal is energized for one complete revolution of the arm.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 9, of the drawing, upon a supporting post 20 a motor housing 21 is mounted and upon such motor housing a gear box 22 is secured in any suitable manner. Rotatably mounted in and projecting outwardly from the gear box 22 are shafts 23 on the inner ends of which beveled gears 24 are fixed, the beveled gears 24 being driven by a driving gear 25 fixed on a shaft 26 driven by a motor and gear reduction unit (not shown) in the motor housing 21. It will be understood that the shafts are mounted in suitable bearings 27, 28 and rotate in unison.

Fixed to each side of the gear box 22 is a control drum 29 secured by means of screws 30 through a flange thereof to the gear box, such drum being substantially concentric with its associated shaft '23. Each drum carries a continuous contact band 31, a red light energizing band 32 and one or more short amber light energizing bands 33 and a green light energizing band 34. Fixed to the outer end of shaft 23 is a hub 35 secured thereto by means of a set screw or the like and such hub carries a cylindrical casing 36 which substantially covers the stationary drum 29 and such cylindrical casing carries a plurality of electrical contacts or blushes 37, 38, 39 and 40, which are suitably insulated and contact the bands 31, 32, 33 and '34, respectively.

Fixed to the hub 35 is an arm 41 carrying a lamp case 42 having a reflector 43 therein, a red lamp 44, an amber lamp 45 and a green lamp 46 which lamps are connected by suitable leads to the brushes 37 to 40 which contact the bands 31 to 34, inclusive. One contact of each lamp is connected to one line wire 47. The contact bands 32 to 34, inclusive, are connected to a common lead 48 which is supplied with electrical energy by a normally closed switch 49 connected to the other supply line. A second normally open switch 50 is connected to the said other line and may be used to connect such other line to a lead 51 permanently connected to the endless band 31 for continuously energizing the amber lamp 45, at the times when the signalling system not in its cycle of operation. At other times the switch 50 is kept open and the switch 49 is closed and the sequence of operation is performed in accordance with the position of the bands 32 to 34 on the drum 29.

To illustrate the operation an arm 41 (Figs. 5 to 8) is shown in its initial or twelve oclock position in Fig. 5 in which the red lamp has just been energized by contact of brush 38 with band 32 while in Fig. 6 the brush 39 has contacted with one of the bands 33 to energize the amber lamp in the five oclock position of the arm. In Fig. 7 or the six oclock position of the arm the green lamp 46 has been energized by contact of the brush 40 with the band 34, remaining energized until the arm 41 reaches the eleven oclock position shown in Fig. 8 in which the amber lamp is again energized by the other band 33 and when the arm 41 reaches the twelve oclock position the cycle is repeated. It will thus be seen that in this modification the signal light operates every half revolution completing a cycle of operation in one complete rotation of 360.

The arm 41 includes a section 51A which is of lucite exposed on its outer face with the lucite extending through the lamp casing 42 to receive light from the lamps through an opening 51B in the reflector thereby making the outer portion of the arm illuminated. This makes it possible for an observer to determine at a glance the condition of the cycle and the time remaining for exposure of the signal.

Referring to Fig. a modified form of the invention includes a support such as an upright standard 52 carrying a motor housing 53 on which a gear 'box 54 is mounted, such gear box rotatably supporting a plurality of shafts 55 in suitable bearings 56, 57 which shafts carry gears 58 on their inner ends which mesh with a driving gear 59 fixed on a shaft 60 driven by a suitable motor and gear reduction unit (not shown) suitably mounted in the motor housing 53 whereby the shafts 55 are rotated in unison. Fixed to each side of the gear housing 54 is a contact drum 61 secured by screws 61A or the like through a flange in the drum to the gear box, such drum carrying a plurality of endless contact bands 62, 63, 64 and 65 which cooperate with brushes 66, 67, 68 and 69 fixed to a cylindrical insulated casing 70 mounted by means of a hub 71 and end flange 72 on the outer end of its associated shaft 55, being retained thereon by a set screw or the like.

Fixed to each cylindrical casing 70 is an arm 73 carrying a lamp casing 74 in which a red lamp 75, an amber lamp 76 and a green lamp 77 are mounted. The lamps 75, 76 and 77 are supplied with current from one side of a source of supply through a lead 78 and supplied from the other side of the supply through a lead 79 connected to one contact of a normally open manually operated switch 80 and to one contact of a normally closed switch 94, the other contact of switch 94 being connected to motor operated contact points 81, 82 and 83.

A lead 81 connects one of the points 84 with a contact of the switch 80 and from the other of the points 84 a lead 85 extends to endless band 62 which contacts a brush 66 connected by a" lead 86 to a lead 87 to the amber lamp 76 whereby when switch 80 is closed the amber lamp 76 will be energized intermittently by a cam 88 on a shaft 89 driven by motor and gear reduction unit 90 which produces the time energization of the lamps 75, 76 and 77 in accordance with cams 91, 92 and 93 which are fixed on the shaft 89 to operate the contact points 83, 82 and 81 in timed relation whereby the lamps 75, 76 and 77 are energized in a selected sequence.

In normal operation of the signals a switch 94 in the line 79 is closed and the cams 91 to 93 produce the sequential energization of the lamps 75, 76 and 77, but when it is desired to have the trafiic signal inefiective the switch 94 is open and the switch 80 is closed and then the lamp 76 is intermittently energized producing the intermittent amber light which indicates caution. If desired a link may connect switches 80 and 94 so that one switch is open while the other switch is closed.

The modification of the invention shown in Figs. 10 to 16, inclusive, can be designed for any sequence of operation and in one method of operation the lights may change after a complete rotation of the arm, the arm 73 being rotated by the motor in housing 53 through shaft 60 and gears 59 and 58 and the lamps 75, 76 and 77 being energized by the timing motor 90 which actuates point contacts 81 to 83. However, an observer not acquainted with this system of signalling might not know when the signal is about to change and one way in which this instant of change may be indicated is by means of one or more struts 95 and/or 96 mounted on the gear housing 54 and carrying a constantly illuminated white lamp 97 and 98, respectively, and the signalling can be arranged so that each change occurs at one of these white lamps 97 or 98. In the event that a complete rotation is to be made for each signal a single strut 96 may be used and a single white index lamp 98. However, it may be desired to have the signals changed at different times in the cycle and by having two struts 95 and 96 with index lights 97 and 98, respectively, the signal may be made to change from green to red, for example, at light 97 and from red to green at light 98. It will be apparent that this timing may be easily obtained by the motor timing device 90 and the cams thereon.

One sequence of signalling is illustrated in Figs. 14 to 16, inclusive, and in Fig. 14 the red lamp has just been energized in the nine oclock position of arm 73 and such red lamp remains energized while the arm 73 moves to the twelve oclock position shown in Fig. 15 where the red lamp 75 is extinguished and the green lamp 77 is energized resulting in a green or Go signal such signal continuing until the arm '73 reaches the eight oclock' position shown in Fig. 16 where the amber light is energized, the amber light remaining energized until the nine oclock position is reached at which time the red lamp is again energized as shown in Fig. 14.

From the above description it is believed obvious that the signalling device of the present invention is adapted for many uses within wide variations of operation and the use of the index lights 97 and 98 make it possible for a motorist or pedestrian to readily observe the position of the arms 73 and determine the time remaining for crossing the intersection or the time remaining before safe entry into the intersection can be made.

Referring to Fig. 17, another form of index is shown to include a circular lamp 99 mounted on the gear box 54 which provides a reference so that an observer may note the position of the arm 73 and so determine the time remaining for the signal to be effective and such an index is desirable so that with a mere glance the observer can readily make an accurate estimate of the situation.

The use of index lamps 97, 98 and 99 also assist the observer in identifying the signal system as including the rotating signal light.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A traflic control signal for indicating the period of time remaining for a particular signal to 'be exhibited com-prising a housing, a shaft projecting from the housing, a radially extending arm mounted on the outer end of said shaft, said radially extending arm including a portion of light transmitting strip material having an exposed surface on the side of said arm away from said housing through which light may pass and illuminate the strip, a plurality of signal lamps of different colors mounted on said arm a reflector on said arm for reflecting the light from the colored signal lamps in the axial direction of said shaft and away from said housing, said reflector having an opening exposing said light transmitting strip material to the light from each signal lamp thereby providing illumination in an axial direction from said strip of light transmitting material whereby a particular lamp is energized the strip of light transmitting material will be correspondingly illuminated to indicate the position of the lamp with respect to the shaft whereby an observer of the signal will have knowledge of the angular location of the signal lamp thereby enabling khan such observer to accurately estimate the time remaining for the energization of the particular lamp.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which a stationary commutator is mounted on said housing surrounding said shaft and a casing is fixed to said arm and surrounds said commutator, said casing carrying a plurality of brushes to co-act with said commutator to successively energize the lamps on said arm.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which a commutator is fixedly mounted on said housing and a casing is connected to said arm and rotatable about said commutator, said casing having a plurality of brushes, said commutator having a plurality of rings for cooperation with said brushes and means for periodically energizing said rings to thereby energize said lamps.

4. The invention according to claim 1 in which an index lamp is mounted in a fixed definite relation to said shaft whereby the position of said arm may be accurately indicated.

5. The invention according to claim 2 in which position indicating index lamp means are mounted in fixed 6 relation to the drum of the commutator means to show the point at Which a signal is to change.

6. The invention according to claim 2 in which an annular lamp surrounds the axis of the shafts to provide a reference in observing the position of the signal carrying arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,849,393 Wilcox et a1. Mar. 15, 1932 1,942,306 Price Jan. 2, 1934 2,064,211, McClure Dec. 15, 1936 2,235,728 Ramspeck Mar. 18, 1941 2,288,084 Gandl June 30, 1942 2,289,369 Kincannon July 14, 1942 2,490,585 Elain Dec. 6, 1949 2,526,442 Winn Oct. 17, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 151,521 Australia May 21, 1953 

